Aaron Stein joins the AFA from a career in agriculture and business, holding leadership roles across several sectors.

He founded and managed Alberta’s first commercial composting facility, and led marketing initiatives at Marketing Specialties, a firm that concentrated on the agriculture sector. He also managed a portfolio of biotechnology products tailored for agriculture.

“Aaron’s combination of leadership, business acumen, and a passion for agriculture makes him the perfect fit to lead the AFA,” said Lynn Jacobson, AFA president, in a media release. “We’re confident his expertise will be crucial in advancing our work in representing Alberta’s farmers and ranchers.”

One of Stein’s immediate priorities will be overseeing the development of a comprehensive five-year strategic plan for the AFA. This plan will guide the organization’s efforts to tackle important issues such as tariff threats, climate change, water security, farm business sustainability, labour shortages, and succession planning. As a member of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), the AFA will continue to advocate for Alberta’s agricultural sector on both provincial and national platforms.

“I’m committed to ensuring that Alberta’s agricultural producers have a strong, united voice advocating for their needs, both locally and across Canada,” Stein said in the media release.

In addition to their new director, the AFA’s annual meeting will be held virtually on March 3, at 7 PM. Pre-registration is required.

The post Stein appointed to manage AFA appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“Farming is one of the most demanding and high-stress occupations. The financial pressures, isolation, and emotional demands of caring for livestock and crops can take a toll on mental health. The National Farmer Wellness Network Crisis Line bridges the gap by offering accessible, culturally informed, and confidential crisis services, ensuring farmers receive care tailored to their needs in moments of crisis,” the statement continued, noting Farm Credit Canada will contribute $1.5 million over three years.

The crisis line is available at 1-866-FARMS01 (1-866-327-6701) to provide confidential assistance to those in need. As well, it’s available at ccaw.ca/national-farmer-wellness-network/.

“The National Farmer Wellness Network ensures farmers have access to vital, farm-tailored mental health support. With FCC’s backing, it tackles industry-specific stressors and strengthens resilience in Canada’s agricultural communities,” commented Dr. Briana Hagen, CEO and lead scientist at the CCAW.

Hagen added that since 2022 the CCAW has worked to bridge mental health service gaps for farmers and the crisis line fills a critical need, providing urgent support and ensuring continuity of care nationwide. The mental health professionals are trains in the Canadian Agricultural Literacy Program as to provide support to the ag sector.

“Farm life comes with so many joys and celebrations. And yet, the challenges of farm life are often faced alone and without the needed supports. This partnership with CCAW is our commitment to Canadian farm families; to help provide access to critical mental health resources that reflect the realities of their daily lives,” said Justine Hendricks, FCC president and CEO.

The post Launching National Farmer Crisis Line appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Prime minister Justin Trudeau quickly announced retaliatory tariffs matching Trump’s at 25 per cent.

The U.S. tariffs were to take effect Feb. 4. Canada’s will take effect the same day on $30 billion worth of American goods and will continue up to $125 billion in three weeks.

Provincial governments are also beginning to take action, with Ontario premier Doug Ford announcing Feb. 3 via X (formerly Twitter) a ban on American companies from provincial contracts.

Canadian Federation of Agriculture president Keith Currie explained the impacts U.S. tariffs as well as Ottawa’s retaliation will have on Canadian producers.

“In eastern Ontario, certainly, there’s a lot of natural gas that comes in from Pennsylvania and upstate New York, which will drive up energy costs, which potentially could drive up the cost of nitrogen,” Currie said.

“We get a lot of our crop protection products up out of the States, so that could potentially, again, drive the cost up.”

“We want to think about specific agriculture things, but we all have to eat, and so, is our cost of food products going to increase to the point where it becomes even more unaffordable?” Currie added.

“That’s the worry here.”

Many other groups across the Canadian agriculture community have expressed their anger and concern over the new measures.

“Tariffs will have devastating impacts on farmers, input providers, canola crushing activities and exports of canola seed, oil and meal,” Canola Council of Canada president Chris Davison said in a Feb. 1 news release.

In the same release, Canadian Canola Growers’ Association president Rick White said, “the damaging blow of these duties will be felt by every canola farmer, starting with the price they receive at delivery and will extend to the full range of their operations, ultimately reducing farm profitability.”

Dairy Farmers of Canada released a statement in which president David Wiens expressed deep concern “about the far-reaching impacts that the high tariffs imposed by the United States on Canadian products will have on consumers, industries and economies on both sides of the border.”

Kyle Larkin, executive director of Grain Growers of Canada. said in a news release that the U.S. measure “isn’t just a tariff on Canadian farmers — it’s a tax on every American family purchasing loaf of bread, oatmeal, canola oil and other food staples at the grocery store.”

This idea of mutual harm was echoed by Greg Northey, president of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance, who said in a Feb. 3 news release that “tariffs will drive up costs, disrupt supply chains and harm American, Canadian and Mexican consumers and producers.”

In a Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada news release, executive director Massimo Bergamini said Trump’s decision “exacerbates an already difficult situation,” in reference to food insecurity in Canada.

““FVGC acknowledges and supports the Government of Canada’s steadfast ‘Team Canada’ approach in addressing these trade challenges.”

Also condemning Trump’s decision was Cereals Canada.

“The implementation of significant tariffs on Canadian cereal grains and ingredients will drastically impact their availability in North America, leading to increased costs for food processors, lower returns for farmers, and higher grocery bills for American families,” said CEO Dean Dias in a Cereals Canada press release.

“Canada’s agriculture sector is key to our nation’s prosperity and the food we grow is critical to millions of North Americans,” he continued. “Even a short disruption will be damaging to our sector, and the Canadian economy as a whole.”

A recently released written policy note from Agri-Food Economic Systems warns that “North America will soon find itself in the grip of a full-scale trade war.”

Ted Bilyea, one of the paper’s co-authors, said in a news release that Canada exporting more agri-food products to the U.S. than it imports “could turn out to be a liability for Canada.”

Bilyea also noted “tariffs could result in a self-injury to the U.S.”

Some American farm groups have already expressed concern about the harmful impacts on their own operations. In a Feb. 2 press news, Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, said U.S farmers will “bear the brunt of retaliation.”

“Over 80 per cent of the United States’ supply of a key fertilizer ingredient — potash — comes from Canada,” Duvall wrote.

“Tariffs that increase fertilizer prices threaten to deliver another blow to the finances of farm families already grappling with inflation and high supply costs.”

Currie said he has already seen some pushback against Trump’s tariffs in the U.S.

“You have Republican senators coming out on the East Coast and saying, ‘you know, ‘the economy is so integrated with Canada. It’s the partner that we trade with more than anybody else, and it’s going to impact our people more so than it’s going to impact Canadians.’ ”

He said the tide could begin to turn if state governors spoke out against the tariffs, though that outcome seems unlikely.

The pressure could soon expand beyond U.S. borders, though.

“If (Trump) does what he says he’s going to do … and prices start to skyrocket, he’s not only getting pressure internally, he’s going to get pressure from around the world, and people will desperately look to other markets,” Currie said.

“And if you switch to another market, you don’t always come back.”

The post Tariffs will be ‘devastating’ appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

People who fell under the scope of the proposed changes of the tax regime were concerned whether they would have to continue paying the modified capital gains tax after the measure failed to pass through parliament.

The measure could not pass the House of Commons last year due to a political logjam, and this year it got stalled again after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suspended the parliament.

The government had proposed in April to increase the proportion of capital gains subject to tax to two-thirds from half for businesses and for individuals with capital gains above C$250,000 ($174,605.39).

The measure, supposed to be implemented from June 25 last year, was not officially implemented through an act of Parliament but the government has been collecting the increased tax since the stipulated date, the government said earlier this month.

Farm groups have lobbied against the changes to the capital gains tax.

In a statement today, Grain Growers of Canada said it continues to be opposed to the change.

“The tax hike has already forced many family farms to sell early and will increase cost for most family-run grain farms who produce the majority of food that Canadians and the world rely on once implemented next year,” said GGC executive director Kyle Larkin.

“Delaying bad policy doesn’t fix bad policy – it just drags out uncertainty, derails succession planning, and challenges the future of family farms. When this tax hike takes effect, it will also target farmers’ retirement plans, move the goalposts for the next generation of producers, and further complicate the tax code, driving up accounting and legal expenses for all farmers.

Larkin called for the government to completely reverse the changes.

—Reporting by Promit Mukherjee. With files from Glacier FarmMedia

The post Federal government defers implementation of modified capital gains tax to 2026 appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

The acquisition of Regina-based Viterra by global agribusiness and food company Bunge has been in the works for some time, and the move has been met with concerns from the industry focused mostly on the long-term impact on grain market competition.

A statement from Saskatchewan NDP Leader and agriculture and rural affairs shadow minister Carla Beck emphasized her disappointment in the announcement of the government approval.

“We’ve been clear since day one that this deal is bad for Saskatchewan. This large consolidation puts head office jobs, agriculture and value-added jobs across Saskatchewan and canola crush projects all at risk, and our world-class producers are going to take a hit on their incomes,” she said.

“The federal and provincial governments should not have rolled over and let this anti-competitive merger go through. They should have stood up for Saskatchewan, instead of selling it out.”

Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) also released a statement expressing frustration over the approval, which the GGC said could hit Canadian grain farmers with a loss of $770 million in revenue annually.

“This is a missed opportunity to protect competition in Canada’s grain sector and prioritize the interests of producers who grow the food that Canada and the world rely on,” GGC executive director Kyle Larkin said in a press release.

“We are urging the government to revisit these conditions, strengthen measures to foster competition, and take meaningful steps to support Canada’s grain farmers.”

The merger approval does come with conditions. Some of the conditions require Bunge to divest of six grain elevators in western Canada, invest at least $520 million in Canada in the next five years and retain Viterra’s head office in Regina for at least five years.

Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) President Bill Prybylski said that while he is cautiously optimistic that some producers’ concerns have been addressed with conditions on the transaction, he believes more can be done to support farmers and ensure a competitive marketplace for Canadian producers.

“The government’s decision has begun to address critical issues we’ve raised, particularly around the need for enhanced competitiveness and sustainability for farmers. However, achieving real progress requires these policies to move beyond initial promises towards practical and impactful outcomes,” Prybylski said in a statement on Wednesday.

“While we acknowledge the government’s efforts in addressing the concerns raised by Saskatchewan farmers in its decision, it is essential that these conditions are more than just words on paper. Farmers need real action that translates into enhanced competitiveness and sustainability in the grain industry.”

Canadian Federation of Agriculture President Keith Currie also voiced his frustration on the matter, adding that Bunge retaining its stake in G3 raises eyebrows about fairness in the marketplace.

“We need to ensure that, at a minimum, the conditions set around this deal are being met. Our concerns from the beginning were that this deal would not be in the best interests of farmers and the fact that Bunge has maintained its minority ownership stake in G3 certainly furthers those concerns,” Currie said.

“Unfortunately, at the end of the day, it is the farmers who will pay.”

The post Stakeholders react to Bunge-Viterra merger approval appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Things are looking not too bad for those who want to see snow or deep freeze temperatures. As we start this forecast period, a strong area of Arctic high pressure is dropping southeastwards over the eastern Prairies behind the strong area of low pressure that zipped through on Tuesday. Over the western Prairies, the weather models show a strong ridge of high pressure building over B.C. which is expected to transition eastwards.

This weather pattern should bring well-above-average temperatures to most of Alberta, with the above-average temperatures spreading eastwards towards the weekend. As the warm air pushes eastwards, it will slowly slump southward meaning the southern parts of the Prairies will experience the warmest temperatures with slightly cooler temperatures over more central regions.

The warm air looks as if it will get pushed southwards by early next week, but the weather models are only showing a weak push of cold air building in behind the warm air. With the transition from warmer to colder conditions there is the chance of some snow, especially over southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba early next week. It doesn’t look like it will be a big snow maker, and as usual that is a long way off, and things can change.

Alberta

This region could see a lot of the recent snow melt away. The weather models are showing a strong upper ridge building over the regions. This ridge will bring sunny-to-partly-cloudy skies and well above-average temperatures to start this forecast period. Expect daytime highs over southern regions to be pushing 8 to 10 C by Friday with central and northern regions seeing highs in the – to 4 C range.

The upper ridge is forecasted to collapse on Sunday as it slides to the east. Colder air will work is way southwards and drop daytime highs into the -5 to -10 C range across the province. There could be a little snow over southern regions as the cold air pushes in, but at the time of writing this the weather models are not showing any significant accumulations.

After a brief cool down, the weather models are showing milder air pushing it way back into the Alberta by Tuesday or Wednesday with daytime highs once again moving back into above zero values.

Saskatchewan and Manitoba

This region will see a much colder day on Wednesday as Arctic high pressure drops southwards behind the area of low pressure that cut trough central Saskatchewan and Manitoba on Tuesday. Expect daytime highs to either stay steady or drop during the day, ending up around -18 C by the evening. It also looks to be quite windy with winds of 40 gusting to 60 kph or more expected over eastern Saskatchewan and most of southern and central Manitoba. Fortunately, these cold temperatures are only expected to last a day or two before milder air pushes eastwards thanks to a ridge of high pressure building over B.C. and Alberta.

This upper ridge will push eastwards late in the week and bring much milder temperatures. Saskatchewan will see the warmest temperatures with daytime highs by Friday or Saturday into the 0 to 5 C range. As the warm air pushes eastwards, it will slowly slide to the south. This means while Manitoba will see warmer temperatures, by the time the warm air reaches the province, the mildest temperatures will be to the south. Nevertheless, expect daytime highs on Saturday and Sunday to be in the -2 to +3 C range.

As the warm air slides to the south late in the weekend, cooler air will be pushing in from the north. The weather models are showing an area of low pressure developing along this boundary over the northern U.S. which may bring some measurable snow to southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba early next week. Confidence in this feature is low but as usual, it bears watching.

On a positive note, the extended mid-range forecast, which forecasts out to December 20th is not showing any significant outbreak of cold air. So far December is living up to the prediction of warmer than average. The question is—will it still end up being snowier?

— Daniel Bezte is a teacher by profession with a B.A. (Hon.) in geography, specializing in climatology from the University of Winnipeg. He operates a computerized weather station near Birds Hill Park, Man. Contact him via email with your questions and comments.

The post Prairie forecast: Melting in the west, milder in the east appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Set around the events of the 2024 Ag in Motion, which takes place every July near Langham, Sask. and is one of the biggest farm shows in Western Canada, the first episode is called “Working Cattle,” and focuses on the cattle producers who attend Ag in Motion and the equipment that is shown at Ag in Motion for the cattle sector.

Rob O’Connor, show director of Ag in Motion, said at the launch that he was very excited to see the first episode of the documentary go live.

“To have something this dedicated to the show out there for people to see, and to listen to the different people who participate at the show and how it affects them, it’s kind of cool,” he said following the premiere.

The first episode features O’Connor both on his ranch and at Ag in Motion, working to make the event run smoothly. It also features Canadian Cattlemen editor Lisa Guenther, Glacier FarmMedia lead of exhibit sales and programming Melonee Ochitwa and many people within the industry.

O’Connor said Ag in Motion is a pinnacle of the agriculture industry, and so it is important to showcase it in this way.

“I think it’s an opportunity for the industry to showcase what’s out there for the people who are investing in that industry and producing the ingredients that go into our food,” he said.

“I just really like the focus on how the different aspects of the livestock industry, whether it’s the manufacturers or the livestock producers, are benefiting from (Ag in Motion). The trade show aspect is about business, but it does more than that. It’s not just creating business, it’s also supporting the lifestyle of those people.”

The episode went live on YouTube Nov. 27 following the launch event. The second episode, focusing on equipment, will be privately launched at the Western Canadian Crop Production show in January, with the third episode to follow in February.

“I’m really excited about how we’re going to probably see the next two episodes evolve into how many more people are affected by the show, and the positive outcomes that it gives to the community and to those people’s businesses,” O’Connor said.

The post Agribition 2024: Western Producer launches documentary at Agribition appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“We are doing everything we can to make sure Canadian farmers can continue to access their agricultural news and production information during the mail service disruption,” said Laura Rance-Unger, Glacier FarmMedia executive editor.

Our publication’s digital editions are now freely available online. You can access them here.

You can select the edition you want to review and click on that link, then on the front page of the publication that appears. A reader will then open and you will have access to the full publication, and the ability to turn virtual pages. When you see a story you want to read, click on it and a reader window will open. When you’re done reading the story click on the close button at the top right, and you’ll be back to the same edition.

In the event of a prolonged mail disruption, we will look to make physical copies of available for free pickup at designated location. We will provide specific locations as they are available on the digital edition page.

The post Find your agriculture news during the mail strike appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

The strike affects two terminals operated by Termont, which handle about 40 per cent of the port’s container traffic but only about 15 per cent of the port’s overall volumes.

In a statement, the Maritime Employers Association called on federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to intervene to bring parties back to the negotiating table.

“The uncertainty caused by this long delay and the recurrence of labor disputes are affecting the Quebec and Canadian economies, and Canada’s reputation as a reliable and resilient trading partner,” said the Maritime Employers Association when the strike commenced on Thursday.

Commodities like Western Canadian pulse crops are significant users of the terminals.

The union has said that it has focused actions on Termont because of employer-specific complaints.

“Termont is targeted because it is the only company at the Port of Montreal to modify schedules in a punitive way,” Canadian Union of Public Employees 375, which represents the longshore workers, said on Oct. 28.

Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said the federal government remained willing to help with mediation.

“Parties must find a process leading to a negotiated agreement as quickly as possible. Federal mediators and Minister MacKinnon remain available to assist them, and we continue to monitor the situation closely,” MacKinnon said in a statement.

The employer’s association previously asked for federal intervention.

The post Port of Montreal workers at two terminals start new strike, employer group says appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Incumbent premier Blaine Higgs’ Progressive Conservative government was defeated by Susan Holt’s Liberals, who scored a majority with 31 of 49 seats; the Tories followed with 16 and the Greens with two. Higgs narrowly lost in his own constituency of Quispamsis.

Higgs’ agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries minister, Margaret Johnson, easily held her northwestern riding of Carleton-Victoria by a spread of over 2,600 votes against Liberal challenger Julian Moulton.

The Liberals’ incumbent ag critic, Eric Mallet, also easily held his riding of Shippagan-Les Îles by a spread of over 3,900 votes against the Greens’ Wilfred Roussel.

The Liberals’ previous ag critic, Isabelle Thériault, held her riding of Caraquet by almost 5,300 votes over Tory challenger Jean Paul Lanteigne.

Among other ag-adjacent MLAs, farmer and Green representative Kevin Arseneau narrowly lost in his riding of Kent North against Liberal challenger Pat Finnigan.

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